Talisman sails the Mississippi Sound

TALISMAN GOES COASTAL !

MARCH 2009

We had been waiting for this day. We wanted to finally exit the protective waters of Lake Pontchartrain and venture out into the Gulf of Mexico. How would it feel to navigate the great expanse? We would see land a few miles away on our port side, but not always. Eleven months after the purchase of our Pearson 365 ketch, Talisman, we were eager to push the envelope and try new adventures. Oh, we knew that this “first” was not going to be the grandest adventure, but the excitement and drive for exploration was enough to fuel our imagination.

After all, we had lost our first and only other sailboat, a C&C 27 named Sas-Sea Lady, that Hurricane Katrina had claimed. It was sad to find it heaped up on the shore at Southshore Marina in eastern New Orleans. From what we could see, all the other boats had either been flung on shore or were sunken. A few masts pointed out of the water to remind us of the mighty hand of Mother Nature. We had already been toying with a bigger and better sailing vessel for our growing interest in cruising. SasSea Lady wasn’t exactly comfortable for multiple nights out. We had sailed across the Lake and included overnighters at the Mandeville public dock and in Bayou Lacombe, but transitioning into coastal cruisers represented a whole other dimension.

After many boat inspections throughout several states, literature, a boat show, and interactions with other sailors, we settled on Talisman. It was right here in our own back yard, and also made a slip available to us on the north shore of the Lake. Slips were and are still hard to come by in this area and along the Mississippi Coast ever since the Hurricane. Finally we had a boat of our own again; Talisman was welcomed into the family in April of 2008.

Here we were in March of 2009, after updating and fixing structural, mechanical and electrical components, ready for our first foray into the Gulf. Mike had worked diligently (and still does – it’s a work in progress, as you all know) on bettering the systems and making the boat safer, more efficient, etc. At least his brain cells won’t go to mush too soon. I don’t know about mine but am hoping that the challenges of navigation, and organizational matters keep me alert.

Our first day of the Talisman Coastal Cruising I trip was consumed by getting everything ready for departure. Just inflating, hoisting it on board, and learning how to accommodate the new Achilles dinghy took up a number of hours. Then checking systems, cleaning, topping fuel and water tanks, organizing the galley, hooking up navigational systems, etc. wore us out.

DAY 1.

We headed for Madisonville just south of our marina on the Tchefuncte River. This is a beautiful river with the sights and sounds of bayou country Louisiana. And Madisonville is still true to its roots in the fishing and boating history of south Louisiana. It is a jewel of a town. Tying up at the public dock near attractive southern style homes and great restaurants on the water is a treat. So, we spent our first night there and enjoyed the ambiance we have loved from the beginning.

DAY 2.

Early in the morning of day two, I did as I always do six days a week, that is, yoga on the foredeck. We had the inflated dinghy taking up space exactly where I like to practice my yoga, which is in front of the main mast. However, I found another spot that suits me well. It’s port side alongside the boom, just behind the mast wedged in between the hatch and mast. The mist is lifting, the loons are dipping into the River, Cyprus trees line the banks with their exposed roots, and the early morning fishermen are motoring (purring) downriver and under the swing bridge to make it into the Lake for fishing and maybe some crabbing. We also set out, request passage at the swing bridge and motor a couple of miles toward the lighthouse at the mouth of the River.

We’ll have to request passage at the North Causeway drawbridge, and then pass under the railroad bridge and request passage under the Hwy. 11 Bridge in order to reach our destination for that day. We’ve calculated a late afternoon arrival at Oak Harbor Marina, City of Slidell. There’s a great seafood (and steak) restaurant named Phil’s with docking availability. Several sailors had recommended it on the SeaKnots blog after my post requesting suggestions for our trip. We passed Mandeville and Bayou Lacombe that we were so familiar with, and the Slidell area wasn’t too far beyond.

Lake Pontchartrain has very attractive communities, including New Orleans on the south shore. One could spend all of one’s sailing life on this Lake, the bodies of water that connect, and the many culturally interesting towns around it. But we also are training our eyes to the Gulf and beyond.
Passing under the North Causeway draw bridge, we pay our respects to the many pelicans that perch there, claiming that territory. The pelican is the State of Louisiana’s symbol. And they are interesting creatures to watch. Though not noisy as the seagulls tend to be, they fly gracefully, despite their size, skimming the water for an opportunity to fish.

After two more bridges, we entered Oak Harbor Marina. It is easily the cleanest, most orderly marina we’ve seen thus far. Surrounding the Marina are nice modern condos and townhouses. There’s a yacht club and a couple of restaurants. We stayed at Phil’s, spent the night tied up to their pier, but fueled up at The Dock, the other restaurant that dispenses gas and diesel (cheaply).

DAY 3.

Next day we were continuing our route of unknowns when we departed early for the Rigolets and Gulf of Mexico. It’s a narrow, but not too narrow (a mile at its widest), stretch of channel which provides good passage within a couple of hours from the Lake to the Gulf. The morning fog seemed to persist well into the late morning. So our traverse of the Rigolets was less scenic and more demanding of our full attention.

We passed Rabbit Island at the mouth of the Gulf. It had been suggested as a stopping off anchorage, if needed. There’s a rusty, discontinued oil platform that serves as a landmark. If you were to use the Industrial Canal into or out of New Orleans (that’s the Inter Coastal Waterway, or ICW), connecting to the Gulf, you would necessarily pass by Rabbit Island. There’s a half moon section surrounding the Island good for anchoring and resting for the night. Some mention there’s fishing there too and maybe gnats. We made a mental note to consider it on the way back from the Gulf. We’d have to see.

Finally, we experience the Gulf of Mexico! From Rabbit Island we could see where the Mississippi Sound begins (also part of the ICW). We follow the Coast Guard’s Coastal Explorer charts, but it’s evident that the Sound is well marked, with beacons lining up every couple of miles or so. The Sound runs parallel to the Mississippi Coast for a ways until roughly at the longitude of Pass Christian. Then it veers northeast to take you to a juncture that offers a couple of interesting options: Long Beach Marina on the Coast or Cat Island toward the south. We had been told of the enticing anchorage area of Cat Island, somewhat protected at its southeastern section, a hideaway called Smuggler’s Cove. We had planned to reach it that night but winds were picking up and the weather window looked like it was going to get worse before it got better again.

So, we made our way to Long Beach Marina and decided to study the situation more before making decisions about the next few days. Yes, we were disappointed but happy to find a functioning marina on the Mississippi Coast. Hurricane Katrina had devastated Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Long Beach, and greatly affected Gulfport, Biloxi and Ocean Springs. Only two marinas are functional right now: Long Beach and Biloxi’s Small Craft Harbor. Biloxi's Point Cadet, the premier marina along the Mississippi Coast, is due online in the near future. That's what officials informed me when researching this trip.

Long Beach Marina was surprisingly accommodating. It had had the reputation of shallow waters towards the back of the Marina where a restaurant once stood (before the Hurricane). We found that the Marina had been dredged and provided sufficient depths for our 4.5 ft. keel and slightly more (7-9 ft.). Water, electricity, fuel and waste dumping were available. There was also round-the-clock security. Several fast food places are within walking distance. If one had wheels, there is also a full-fledged grocery and marine supply stores within a couple of miles. Also, Gulfport is slightly less than two miles from Long Beach. We basically cooked on board and hunkered down for the evening. The trip from Slidell’s Oak Harbor Marina to Long Beach Marina had tired us out. The newness of it all, having to be continuously alert and moving about, etc., etc.

DAY 4.

Next day, we strolled over for a cup of hot coffee nearby. Then we visited with the Marina office personnel to get a better understanding about weather and other conditions that would affect our plans for the upcoming days. Would we decide to head down to Cat Island, directly below Long Beach? Or should we look towards Ship Island, next to it, or Horn Island on the other side of Ship, or Petit Bois following that one? Whereas Cat Island offers some protection from N and NE winds, the others somewhat protect from southerly winds.

Opting for these barrier islands is not recommended when experiencing winds above 15 knots. Winds were expected to pick up more than that that afternoon and for several subsequent days following. We were just not in luck for this time around. The people at the Marina office couldn’t have been nicer. In the end we decided, much to our chagrin, to turn back west toward Lake Pontchartrain and eventually home again.

We set out with choppy seas that same morning. Another sailboat coming from the Cat Island area caught up with us and we basically buddied up for the trip back to Pontchartrain Lake. As we radioed back and forth, we found out from our sailing buddy that winds had grown quite strong in the night and that the seas were a bit rough. Depths around Cat Island are not fantastic for fixed keel sailboats. As our sailing buddy remarked, it had been no picnic.

Once we got to the entrance of the Rigolets, we parted ways. We were curious to try out Rabbit Island for that night. But, alas, there was another sailboat taking up the ideal spot. Given the winds, direction and the need for swing room, we moved on. We motored up the Rigolets and headed toward Slidell’s Oak Harbor Marina and Phil’s again. Geoghen Canal, another possible docking place, is still not recovered by the Hurricane. Plus the restaurant is no more. There’s one or two places to tie up, and there’s water. But electricity is still not a sure thing.

It was a good choice to head over to Phil’s at Oak Harbor since Friday nights are really lively. The plentiful and fresh crayfish, shrimp and oysters are certainly hard to resist. We had a wonderful meal, coldies and a great overnight at their pier. Again, it was wonderful to wake up to the very attractive Marina, the chattering of birds, the clanking of halyards, the lovely homes and manicured surroundings and the community of boats. Yoga on the foredeck couldn’t have been better.

DAY 5.

That day proved to be a glorious day. We were able to break out the spinnaker (asymmetrical) while traveling back to the western side of Pontchartrain Lake. With the spinnaker we felt an immediate pickup and within minutes had doubled our speed. That was the most enjoyable sailing we had throughout this week long trip. The Tchefuncte River was so enjoyable, its beauty enhanced by the sunny and mild weather. There were all kinds of people on the River: on motorboats, sailboats, fishing dinghies, and any type of vessel imaginable. We wanted to alight at “the beach,” the spot we affectionately call that entrance point to the River that boasts a sandy beach (all of a couple hundred feet of it) and tempting waters. And we had wanted to overnight there. We went upriver to Brady Island, an anchorage spot we love. It’s basically a tiny island on the River beyond Madisonville but before our marina. We dropped hook with enough time to break out some cold beer and snacks and watch the sun set in this very attractive bayou country.

DAY 6.

The next day was a day dedicated to trying out the dinghy. It was already inflated, but we had to harness it and let it down gently into the water on the port side where we have a swim ladder ready to support our getting into the dinghy without keeling over. No problem. Once I was in it, Mike walked me and the dinghy around to the stern to lower the motor into the dinghy. Then he stepped in and off we went to explore the Tchefuncte’s many coves and marshy shores. The sun was fantastic for this time of the year. We sunned, lazed and took pictures wherever. Mike went for a swim at some point. Too cold for me! Later in the afternoon we motored back to our marina and called it a day…and a trip.